


To Save A Life

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 07:33:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10509210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: While chasing a suspect Barbara takes a tumble





	

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended
> 
> I'm not sure about this fic, but it has been begging me to write it so I did, if only to get some peace!

I stood bent double, my hands resting on my knees, breathless. I was getting too old for this. Pushing myself upright I looked around, trying to spot Barbara; I was sure that she had been right behind me as we had chased our suspect through the house and grounds. 

I called out to the uniformed officers who were manhandling the now apprehended suspect into the back of their car. 

“Have you seen Sergeant Havers?”

They shook their heads, before climbing into the car and driving away. 

I pulled out my mobile, recalled Barbara’s number and pressed the call icon. I listened as it rang repeatedly before going through to her voicemail. Ending the call, I decided to retrace my steps, perhaps she had tripped and twisted her ankle. Frowning, because that wouldn’t explain why she hadn’t answered my call, I broke into a run, yelling her name as I went.

I entered the conservatory type building attached to the back of the main property that housed a swimming pool and hot tub, frantically searching for some trace of her when out of the corner of my eye I saw something in the pool. I turned to get a better look, my heart freezing as I realised what I was looking at

“BARBARA!”

I toed off my shoes and slipped my phone inside one of them before diving into the water. She was floating face down so I turned her over before dragging her to the shallow end of the pool. Slipping and sliding, I hauled her up the steps, laying her on her back and then checking for breathing and a pulse; horrified to find neither. 

I gave one round of CPR, thirty chest compressions and two breaths, before I called for an ambulance. Once I was sure they were on their way I turned back to Barbara. As I repositioned her head to perform the next round of resuscitation my fingers became coated in blood. I wanted to look, to see what injury she had, but I knew that any damage was inconsequential when compared to her not breathing and her heart not beating, and so refocussed my attention onto trying to resuscitate her.

The muscles in my shoulders were aching and I was exhausted, but kept up my efforts until the paramedics arrived, when I moved away to let them work on her. I hovered in the background, shivering under an emergency foil blanket one of the paramedics had passed me, silently praying that there would be some sign of life while a little voice in the back of my mind kept whispering that it was hopeless. I was about to walk away, my heart breaking, when one of the paramedics spoke, capturing my attention.

“She’s back, let’s get moving.”

~*~

My wet clothes had been exchanged for a set of scrubs, my foil blanket discarded for a woollen one. I was huddled under it in a rigid chair beside Barbara’s bed. She had been checked over, the injury to her head had been stitched and she had drifted off to sleep. The doctors believed that she would be fine, it was just a matter of rest and time.

My blood still ran cold every time I thought about how close I had come to losing Barbara, really losing her. Adrenalin had taken over when I had seen her floating face down in the pool, and all I had been able to think about was saving her. Now I had time to reflect, I worried that my actions when dragging her from the water might have caused her permanent physical damage, even though the doctors had done their best to reassure me that wasn't the case. If I had hurt her then I would take care of her, even if she hated me. My life without Barbara in it was not something I wanted to try and comprehend. The truth was, I loved her.

I must have dozed off myself because the next thing I knew a nurse was gently shaking me.

“Miss Havers is awake again.”

I looked over to where Barbara was lying, and was relieved to see that she had a bit more colour and didn’t look as frail. I reached out and took one of her hands in both of mine as the nurse left us alone.

“Barbara, how are you feeling?”

“A bit battered, but I’m alive, and I understand that I have you to thank for that; so, thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

“No, it wasn’t, it was definitely something.”

I smiled at her fondly, “I remember hearing that if you save someone’s life then you are responsible for that life. I quite like the idea of being responsible for you.”

She returned my smile with one of her own, “hmmm, in that case I am responsible for yours; I have been for years.”

I surprised myself with what came out of my mouth next; my subconscious was obviously leaps and bounds ahead. “When you are allowed to get out of here, how about we turn this mutual responsibility into something more permanent?” 

“How permanent were you thinking?”

“Marriage.” Her smile widened, and I was glad that my statement hadn’t upset her. “What do you think of my suggestion?”

“I think you should ask me properly.”

“You want me to get down on one knee?”

“There’s plenty of hoists around if you get stuck.”

“Cheeky!” I knelt down beside her bed, still holding onto her hand. “Barbara Havers, will you marry me?”

“Yes, Tommy Lynley, I will. Now get up here and seal the deal with a kiss.”

I didn’t need asking twice.


End file.
